Process of making tile-dies



' Dec. 31, 1935. HYI N 2,026,337

PROCESS OF MAKING TILE DIES Filed May 29, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 SnnentorCttorncg Dec. 31,1935. N N 2,026,337

PROCESS OF MAKING TILE DIES Filed May 29, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 GttornegPatented Dec. 31, 1935 PATENT OFFlCE PROCESS OF MAKING TILE-DIES FrankB. Yingling, Hamilton, Ohio Application May 29, 1931, Serial No. 541,081

2 Claims.

My present invention relates to an improved process or method of makingdies, andtheinven- .tion is especially applicable for use in the ceramicart,,in;t he manufacture of fiattile from dust or clay, by pressesorother tile manufacturing machines employing relatively movable,co-acting dies. In the production of tile by these presses orpthermachines, it is imperative and essential that the top and bottom dies,preparatory to pressing the dust or clay, shall enter the enclosing.die-ring or mold with adequate or ample clearance sufiicient to permitfree operation of the :dies, and also to permit the airthat has beenunavoidably trapped in the clay or dust to escape therefrom as thematerial is being compressed.

As aresult of this common practicenow employed of allowing the necessaryclearance for the .diesin the die-ring or mold, a slight fin isfashioned by the dies on the edges of the upper face of the pressedtile. This fin is objectionable and undesirable for the reason that itmust be re-- ,moved in order to insure a perfect tile, after it leavesthe press. For the removal of this fin from the tile the operation ofedge fettling is required, which operation, by abrasion, not onlyremoves the fin, but also produces bevel edges on the face of the tilethat are-advantageous in use :when the tile is being set in a buildingwall.

New dies are accurately made to permit the proper clearance above noted,which results in theformation of this objectionable fin, and of,,course, after these dies have become worn, the ,clearance isincreased, and consequently the size .with the necessary beveled edge onits face, in- .stead of the objectionable fin as heretoforeproduced,.and therefore the necessity for employing a fettling operationto finish the tile is eliminated, and the ,tile comes directly from thetile press ready forbrushing. After the tile has been brushed to removedust therefrom, it is placed in a sagger for burning in usual manner.

,Thus, by the employment of the improved die made according to myinvention, economy intlme andlabor are secured, together with reducedcost in the manufacture of the tile; the appearance of the finished tileis enhanced; and the building .wall structure fashioned from such tileis also .enhanced in its appearance.

7 My, invention consists in certain novel steps in the process or methodof making the tile-die as thereto.

Figure 1 is an enlarged, diagrammatic view,

partly in section, illustrating the first stage in fashioning thetile-die.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the manner in which thepower operated die forms the tile-die, from a block or blank of softersteel. Figure 3 is a detail sectional view showing, in exaggerated form,two dies and the die-ring or mold used in the formation of the tile.Figure 4 is a perspective view of the finished tile as it comes from thepress. Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view of the tile enlarged andshowing in an exaggerated manner, fins at the bases of the bevel edges.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a tile with fins ,as it comes from thetile machines now in general ready for attachment to the press.

In Figures 3 and 7, the upper die I of the press is shown of rectangularshape, and fashioned on its lower face with an integral comparativelythin continuous, projecting edge 2 having an inner beveled face.3, andthe outer sides of the edge are flush with the rectangular die.

While I have shown the die adapted to fashion oblong tile, and while thebeveled face is shown at approximately an angle of 45 to the bottom faceof the die, it will be understood that other shapes of die and tile maybe produced, and the 45 anglev may be varied for the beveled face of thedie-edge.

The upper die i of the press is mounted on and reciprocates with theplunger 4, in the mold or die ring l6, which is supported on posts l1,and this die ring also may be reciprocable to permit Withdrawal of the:tile after pressure has been applied The clay or dust for the formationof the tile is indicated at 22 in Figure 3 where it is being compressedin the mold or die ring I6 between the upper die I and a lower die I8,and it will be observed that the required clearance is present 3 (inexaggerated showing) between the dies and the die ring, to permit escapeof air as the pressure is applied to the clay or dust. Ordinarily theupper die I descends approximately one-half the depth of the die ring IEto compress the dust or clay, thereby compressing the material on thelower die I8 tothe required density and thickness. After pressing thetile, the upper die is raised from the die ring to its uppermostposition; then the die ring I 'is depressed to permit access to thepressed tile; and the tile is removed.

During the compression of the tile between the dies, the finished tile23 of Figure 4 is fashioned with a continuous beveled edge 2% about itsface, instead of being fashioned like the old style tile 25 that has afin 25 in Figure 6. In Figure 5 where the new style tile is shownexaggerated for convenience of illustration, a slight fin is indicatedat 24 which may be formed in the press, but as will be noted, the finoccurs at the base of the beveled edge of the tile. Inasmuch as thisslight fin, if formed, is located at the base of the bevel edge and thusback from the face of the tile, it will be of no consequence orsignificance, and will disappear during the brushing operation to whichthe old style tile and the new style tile are subjected. The fin 26 atthe face of the old style tile, however, is an objectionable excesselement, and must be removed from the old style tile by means of aspecial fettling operation that is required to fashion the bevel edge onthe old style tile.

In the drawings, the bevel of the tile-die l, and the bevel to the edgeof the tile 23 are magnified in order to more clearly illustrate theconstruction and arrangement. In actual practice the angle of the bevelface 3 is approximately 45 to the front face of the die, and the beveledge of the die is approximately deep and fi" wide, more or less, forthe ordinary wall tile 23. The angle and these dimensions may be variedto suit diiferent conditions, but in all cases the fin 26 is eliminatedfrom the new style tile, and the proper space is provided for the cementbetween adjoining tiles in a wall structure.

In actual practice in the machine shops, up to the present time, it hasbeen found impracticable to machine or plane a recess in the face of thedie to form the small comparatively thin continuous, beveled edge 2 onthe face of the die, and I have therefore invented a process or methodof making the new style tile-die, by means of which a perfect die isassured.

Thus in Figures 1 and 2 I have disclosed a method of compressing,flowing, peening, or forcing the material into a beveled edge 2 on theface of the tile-die, by means of which tile-dies, as I, may be producedwith accuracy, facility, and low cost of production.

In carrying outmy improved or new method of producing the tile-die l, Iemploy a hard steel, master-die 21, which is mounted on the plunger 28of a forging press, or other suitable power operated means may beemployed, and this masterdie is provided with a cap 29 having bevelededges as indicated, complementary to the beveled faces 3 of the tile-dieI.

The tile-die I is fashioned from a blank 30 of steel softer than thesteel of the master-die, and this blank, as indicated in Figure 1 isfurnished with anexcess or surplus portion 3| which is flowed,compressed, peened, or forced into the shape of the projecting edge 2 ofthe tile-die.

The blanks 33 are fashioned in suitable sizes and shapes, and withaccuracy, in order that the finished tile-die shall be approximatelyperfect for the proper performance of its functions in the tile-press,and the flaring portion 3| of the blank provides an excess or surplusWidth and length for fashioning into the upset edge of the 5 tile-die I.

Various means may be employed for compressing, flowing, peening, orforcing the excess material into the upset edge of the tile-die andfashioning the same into proper dimensions for co-operation with thedie-ring l6 and the lower die of the press. One of these means is shownin Figures 1 and 2 where the blank 30 is forced through a forming die 32having supports 33, and provided with an opening as which is onlyslightly larger than the master die 2'! and sufiicient to produce thesharp edge 2 of Figure '7. The opening is tapered to receive the blank30-3l, and it is preferably fashioned with curved or concave lower walls35 bounding the lower side of the die-opening.

As indicated in the drawings, the blank 303l is forced by the master-diethrough the dieopening of the mold 32, and the resistance of the blankis such that the pressure, or successive impacts, of the master-die, issufficient to enable the master-die to form the required recess in theface of the blank as shown in Figure 3, where the beveled die-cap 29 isembedded in the upper face of the blank, in the process of form- 30 ingthe beveled faces 3 of the edge 2 of the tiledie.

The relative sizes and dimensions of the blank and the die-opening 34-35and their relation to the master die are such that the excess or 35surplus material 3| of the blank is squeezed and upset between the wallsof the die-opening and the outer walls of the master-die, in theformation of the tile-die with its comparatively thin, continuous,projecting edge 2.

Any suitable means, such as hydraulic power, may be employed forimparting the required pressure to the master-die, in the operation offorcing the blank through the hard die-ring or mold 32.

By dotted lines in Figure 7 an exaggerated illustration indicates thetransformation of the dotted blank into the tile-die, the tile-die, ofcourse, being reversed or inverted from the position, in which it,emerges from the mold or diering 32 in Figure 3. In Figure 8 thetile-die is shown after it has been cut to size and preferably casehardened, for use in any suitable tile press.

Various changes and alterations may be made in the invention thus setforth, and are contemplated, within the scope of the appended claims, asfor instance modifications, to include a radius or other form ofprojecting edge, may be made. The solid, substantially integralprojecting edges may be fashioned by welding, fusing, or otherwiseforming these edges on the die.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. The method of making a. die from an integral blank having a laterallyenlarged excess portion, which consists in pressing a master die againsta major portion of the face of the excess portion of said blank andcompressing the blank entirely through a mold having a minimum openingof less area than the area of the excess portion and slightly larger inarea than the master die thereby reducing the periphery of the enlargedportion to coincide with the body of the die, simultaneously forming adepression in the face of the excess portion, and thereby fashioning acomparatively thin continuous projecting edge on said face.

2. The method of making a die from an integral blank having a laterallyenlarged excess portion, which consists in pressing a master die havinga continuous beveled edge against the major portion of the excessportion of said blank and compressing the blank entirely through a moldhaving a minimum opening, of less area than the area of the excessportion and slightly larger in area than the master die, simultaneouslyforming a depression in the face of the excess portion, and therebyfashioning a comparatively thin, continuous edge having a continuousinner beveled face on the finished die.

FRANK B. YINGLING.

